Essential Jazz Standards: The Must-Know Repertoire

Wooden "JAZZ" divider on dim record shelf

If you’re new to jazz, where do you start? With the standards. Must-Know Tunes for Beginners Why These Tunes Matter These songs appear everywhere: They’re the shared repertoire that connects musicians globally. Expanding the List As you grow, your repertoire expands to include: The Goal You don’t just memorize these tunes—you internalize them. Eventually, hearing…

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Why Jazz Standards Still Matter: The Blueprint of the Genre

Saxophonist performing in intimate vintage jazz club

Why do musicians still play songs written 50–100 years ago? Because in jazz, standards aren’t “oldies”—they’re blueprints. The Perfect Harmonic Lab Standards from the Great American Songbook are harmonic masterpieces. Learning “Autumn Leaves” teaches concepts you’ll use everywhere. A Universal Handshake Jazz is a conversation. At a jam session, musicians don’t rehearse—they communicate: “All the…

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The Universal Language of the Jazz Standard

Saxophonist leading jazz band in smoky club

Have you ever walked into a jazz club and watched a group of musicians—who have clearly never met—get on stage, exchange a few brief words, and then launch into a flawless, complex musical performance? To the uninitiated, it looks like magic. But to a jazz musician, it’s simply the power of the jazz “standard.” Jazz…

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How to Load MIDI Files on the Yamaha Disklavier & Clavinova: A Guide to Playing Your New Music

Man relaxing with wine beside Yamaha grand piano

Congratulations! You’ve just purchased some incredible music from the Richard Kahn collection. You are only a few minutes away from experiencing a private performance right in your living room. Because these are PianoSoft Solo files (standard MIDI), they are universally compatible with Yamaha Disklavier (Enspire, E3, Mark IV) and Yamaha Clavinova (CVP, CLP, and CSP…

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See Richard Kahn Live December 10, 2025 in LAVC Free Concert Series

Los Angeles Valley College entrance at night

Los Angeles Valley College is continuing its Free Wednesday Concert series and I’ll be performing along with Michael Matsuno on Saturday December 10 for “What is Good Music (Part 3 of 3).” Michael Matsuno is an accomplished flutist and educator based in Los Angeles. Michael Kento Matsuno is a flutist whose work traverses the classical…

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Richard and Carole Kahn Jazz Piano Scholarship

Graduates in caps and gowns at commencement

We are happy to announce the creation of four Richard and Carole Kahn Jazz Piano Scholarships at Los Angeles Valley College. The new Richard and Carole Kahn Jazz Piano Scholarship has four requirements: The scholarships are designed to attract and reward new or continuing Jazz Piano students who are contemplating a career in the music…

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Canvas Rebel Interview

Smiling middle-aged man in dark blazer

I was recently interviewed by CanvasRebel.com and wanted to share it with you. Here is a portion of the interview: Hi Richard, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do? A significant part of being prepared is knowing the repertoire (the actual musical selections)…

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Richard Kahn

Smiling middle-aged man in suit and tie

Professor of Music Richard Kahn joined the music faculty at Los Angeles Valley College in Fall 2000. He teaches a variety of classes, including Jazz and Commercial Harmony, Arranging, Electronic Music, Music Notation, Music as a Business, Film Scoring, Jazz Appreciation, Songwriting, and Fundamentals of Music, and directs the Jazz Combos Workshop. From 2007-2010, he chaired the committee to…

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